STAAR
®
State of Texas
Assessments of
Academic Readiness
GRADE 4
Reading
Administered May 2016
RELEASED
Copyright © 2016, Texas Education Agency. All rights reserved. Reproduction of all or portions of this work is prohibited without express
written permission from the Texas Education Agency.
READING
Reading
Page 1
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.
Then fill in the answer on your answer document.
The Puppy Bowl
1 Months before Puppy Bowl IX was televised, the stars of the show
arrived in New York City, where the big event is filmed. There, in a
film studio, 63 puppies, 21 kittens, 9 hedgehogs, and 6 hamsters
participated in the 2013 Puppy Bowl. With their big eyes and clumsy
ways, puppies are very cute to watch on a football field. Audiences
agree. The Puppy Bowl has become an annual event, drawing as
many as 12.4 million viewers.
Play by Play
Trying to Score a Point for the Team
AP Photo/Stephen J. Boitano, FILE
2 The Puppy Bowl began in 2005 when the cable channel Animal Planet
had a problem. Each year more than 100 million Americans stopped
everything to watch the Super Bowl, the biggest football game of the
year. This left few viewers to watch the shows on Animal Planet on
the day of the Super Bowl. The cable channel decided to create a
show that viewers would find interesting.
3 Many people liked the idea of a Puppy Bowl. It is like a real football
game in many ways. The Puppy Bowl is played in a stadium with
footballs. However, the stadium is much smaller than a regular
football stadium. In fact, it is closer to the size of a school classroom.
And the footballs used in the Puppy Bowl aren’t real footballs. They
are chew toys of different shapes and sizes. Like a real football field,
the Puppy Bowl stadium has field goals in the end zones, a green field
that is marked with lines, and advertisements posted on the
surrounding walls. Of course, there is a major difference between the
Super Bowl and the Puppy Bowl. The Puppy Bowl is played by
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Page 2
puppies, not humans. But that’s not all. The Puppy Bowl has an
entertaining halftime show performed by kittens. For the 2013 show,
hamsters operated a blimp camera, and hedgehogs were the
cheerleaders.
Picking Puppy Players
4 Animal shelters throughout the country send in pictures of their
puppies, hoping one will be chosen. Each puppy is photographed next
to a soda can so that the judges can see its size. Puppies are typically
between 8 and 16 weeks old, and each puppy is available for
adoption. Petfinder.com, an organization that helps people find pets,
picks the players based on cuteness and their ability to play well with
others.
5 Once the puppies are chosen, they are flown to New York City and
taken to a film studio. Many volunteers are waiting at the studio to
welcome the puppies, kittens, and other animal participants in the
Puppy Bowl.
Puppy Protection
6 At the studio, camera crews film the puppies and other animals in
action. While the Puppy Bowl is being recorded, the puppies and other
animals are well cared for by all the volunteers and crew members. In
addition, a veterinarian examines each puppy before it goes on
camera and gives medical care that might be needed during the
game. A worker from the Humane Society supervises all play. The
puppies are filmed for only 20 minutes at a time to make sure that
they stay safe and enjoy themselves.
7 To make the game fair, the puppies are divided into groups so that
they play with puppies their own size. Even though puppies do not
know how to play football, they seem to have fun on the field. There
are puppy tug-of-war contests, puppies tripping over their own feet,
and puppies falling into the water bowl, as well as puppies that seem
confused and simply sit on the field.
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Page 3
PRNewsFoto/Animal Planet
Which way do we go?
8 A referee watches the puppies during the game and stops the game
when necessary. If a puppy drags a toy to the end of the field, the
referee announces a touchdown. Volunteers cheer when they hear the
news. A puppy that gets too playful on the field may have to take a
break. A puppy that falls asleep gets a time-out. And when there is a
“personal foul,” a volunteer quickly grabs some paper towels to soak
up the puddle!
9 The staff members at Animal Planet enjoy
the company of the puppies until the camera
crews have collected many hours of film.
Then they review the film and select the
cutest moments to share with viewers of the
Puppy Bowl.
10 In addition to the cuteness and fun, the
Puppy Bowl has a serious side. All the
puppies, kittens, and other animals come
from animal shelters. And by the end of the
Puppy Bowl each year, all of them are
adopted. But that’s not all. Petfinder.com
reports that the Puppy Bowl increases the
overall number of adoptions nationwide. The
Puppy Bowl is always a fun day with a happy
ending for both animals and humans.
Reading
Page 4
Fumble, the 2012 Puppy
Bowl’s Most Valuable
Puppy, with His
New Owner
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
Everyone Wins
1 Which detail from the selection supports the idea that people enjoy watching the
Puppy Bowl?
A Animals are filmed months before the Super Bowl takes place.
B The Puppy Bowl is seen by as many as 12.4 million viewers every year.
C Animal shelters throughout the country send pictures of animals.
D The Puppy Bowl can be seen on the same day as the Super Bowl.
2 The main purpose of this selection is to —
F compare football players with puppies
G describe how puppies learned to play a human sport
H persuade the reader to adopt a pet from an animal shelter
J
provide facts about a popular animal show
3 Which sentence from the selection expresses the author’s opinion?
A With their big eyes and clumsy ways, puppies are very cute to watch on a
football field.
B The cable channel decided to create a show that viewers would find
interesting.
C Of course, there is a major difference between the Super Bowl and the Puppy
Bowl.
D Petfinder.com reports that the Puppy Bowl increases the overall number of
adoptions nationwide.
Reading
Page 5
4 What do all the Puppy Bowl participants have in common?
F They are all the same breed.
G They are all the same size.
H They are all used to playing games.
J
They are all available for adoption.
5 Read the following information about the origin of the word supervise.
from the Latin super- + vidŋre, meaning “to see”
This information helps the reader know that the word supervises in paragraph 6
means —
A encourages
B judges
C determines
D watches
6 The author organizes the information in paragraph 3 by —
F explaining why a game played by puppies is better than the same game
played by humans
G listing the reasons a cable channel created a show with puppies
H comparing the puppy football game with a real football game
J
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Page 6
showing all the ways that puppy football is entertaining to watch
7 One of the main goals of the Puppy Bowl is to —
A promote finding new homes for different kinds of pets
B encourage the public to spend more time watching real football
C encourage viewers to play games with their own pets
D show that puppies can do many of the same things humans do
8 Which section of the selection contains information about how veterinarians help
with the Puppy Bowl?
F Play by Play
G Picking Puppy Players
H Puppy Protection
J
Everyone Wins
9 What is the best summary of the selection?
A The Puppy Bowl gathers animals from across the country and films them for a
show that airs on the cable channel Animal Planet. The 2013 show included
puppies, kittens, hamsters, and hedgehogs playing a kind of football game.
B The cable channel Animal Planet created the Puppy Bowl to air on the day of
the Super Bowl. The show brings together animals from shelters across the
country so they can participate in a football game. Viewers are encouraged to
adopt the show participants.
C When the cable channel Animal Planet realized that viewers were leaving the
channel to watch the Super Bowl, a show was created to bring viewers back.
The show is called the Puppy Bowl. It features puppies and other animals.
D The Puppy Bowl is filmed in a studio for the cable channel Animal Planet.
Puppies are filmed playing a version of football. Kittens, hamsters, and
hedgehogs have also been featured on the show.
Reading
Page 7
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.
Then fill in the answer on your answer document.
The Spelling Test
by Suzy Kline
Characters
NARRATOR
HERBIE JONES
MISS PINKHAM
MR. JONES
OLIVIA JONES
ANNABELLE LOUISA HODGEKISS
1 [Settings: Miss Pinkham’s third-grade classroom; Herbie’s house.]
2 [Time: One week in March.]
3 MISS PINKHAM: As a special bonus this week, I have a challenge
for the whole class. If you can learn to spell your name, address,
town, state and zip code correctly, I will mail you a postcard saying
congratulations.
4 HERBIE: Hmmmmmm, I know I usually don’t study my spelling
words, but . . . gee, that postcard would be good news for Dad to find
in the mail.
5 NARRATOR: Herbie’s dad works the night shift at an airplane
factory, and the first thing he does when he gets up around 2:00
is look in the mailbox.
6 HERBIE: I can hear him now . . .
7 MR. JONES: Bills! Bills! Bills! There’s nothing but bills!
8 HERBIE: I can do something about that.
9 NARRATOR: As soon as Herbie got home that afternoon, he
practiced writing his spelling words on the dusty coffee table. His
sister Olivia was shocked.
10 OLIVIA: What are you doing?
11 HERBIE: Studying.
12 OLIVIA: Studying? Since when?
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Page 8
P.M.
13 HERBIE: Since I got my spelling list. How do you study spelling?
14 OLIVIA: You’re asking my advice about something?
15 HERBIE: Well, you do make better grades than I do.
16 OLIVIA: Well, Herbie, I write the words down . . .
17 HERBIE: Yeah?
18 OLIVIA: . . . and I say them to myself. That’s about it. No biggie.
19 HERBIE: What if you have a tough word like Laurel? I keep getting
the a and u mixed up, and I never remember which one comes first.
The same thing happens with the o and u in pound.
20 OLIVIA: Oh! In that case you think of something like APES USE
RADISHES for the a-u-r in Laurel, and OH UNICORN for the o-u in
pound.
21 HERBIE: APES USE RADISHES! OH UNICORN! Why didn’t I think of
that?
22 NARRATOR: That week, Herbie carried his spelling list with him
wherever he went. He practiced writing his words on paper, on frosty
car windows, on his mother’s meatloaf—before it went in the
oven—and in the gravel on the school playground. At 11:00 A.M. on
Friday, Miss Pinkham passed out the white lined paper.
23 MISS PINKHAM: Put your name and date on the first highway.
24 NARRATOR: Miss Pinkham always referred to the blue lines on the
paper as highways. When Annabelle Louisa Hodgekiss finished writing
her name and date neatly, she sat back in her chair.
25 ANNABELLE: I didn’t even have to study—these words are a cinch.
26 MISS PINKHAM: Boys and girls, those of you who want to try for
the spelling bonus may do so now. Write your full name, address,
town, state and zip code.
27 NARRATOR: Very carefully, Herbie printed his street address. When
he came to his zip code, Herbie was in trouble.
28 HERBIE: 0 . . . 6 . . . 7 . . . 9 . . . What is that last number of my zip
code?
29 MISS PINKHAM: Pass your papers in, please.
Reading
Page 9
30 HERBIE: What is that number?
31 MISS PINKHAM: Herbie! You are keeping the entire class.
32 HERBIE: 0 . . . 6 . . . 7 . . . 9 . . . ? 33 MISS PINKHAM: Herbie Jones, if you don’t hand me your paper by
the time I count to three . . .
34 HERBIE: THREE! That’s it!
35 NARRATOR: Annabelle raised her hand.
36 ANNABELLE: Miss Pinkham, I can’t wait to get my postcard in the
mail tomorrow. Can’t you tell us now who got one hundred percent?
37 MISS PINKHAM: Looking through this stack of papers, I wonder if
anyone got one hundred percent.
38 NARRATOR: Saturday afternoon Herbie sat on his porch and waited.
And watched . . . for the mail.
39 HERBIE: Is that him coming around the corner? It is! It’s the
mailman!
40 NARRATOR: Herbie raced into the house and grabbed a book off the
coffee table. It was Ten Days to Slimmer Thighs. Mr. Jones, who had
just shaved, walked toward the door. Herbie looked up and noticed he
still had some soap around his ears.
41 HERBIE: Morning, Dad.
42 MR. JONES: Morning, Herbie. Nice to see you reading. Guess I
better check on the mail. [Starts to groan.] Let’s see, what’s in this
mess . . . Whistleman’s Department Store, Occupant. HEY, HERBIE!
43 HERBIE: [Hopeful.] Yeah?
44 MR. JONES: You got a postcard. Your teacher said you were the only
student to get a hundred percent on your spelling bonus.
45 HERBIE: YAHOO!
46 MR. JONES: That’s the best news I’ve found in the mail in a long
time.
47 NARRATOR: Monday morning right after the Pledge of Allegiance,
Miss Pinkham asked . . .
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Page 10
48 MISS PINKHAM: Will the one person who received the ONLY
postcard please rise?
49 NARRATOR: Everyone looked at Annabelle.
50 ANNABELLE: I . . . I forgot to capitalize Connecticut.
51 ALL: Who got the postcard?
52 HERBIE: [Stands up and raises hand.] Me.
53 ALL: HERBIE JONES?
54 MISS PINKHAM: Herbie’s paper Friday was outstanding. I think we
should give him a big round of applause for his achievement.
55 ALL: [Clap.]
© Suzy Kline
Reading
Page 11
10 What lesson does Herbie learn in this play?
F Finding humor in a difficult task makes it more enjoyable.
G Depending on help from others is often challenging.
H Performing well all the time is impossible.
J
Success is possible through hard work.
11 Annabelle asks Miss Pinkham about the grades immediately after the test because
Annabelle —
A thinks everyone in the class should know she did well on the test
B believes that she made a perfect score on the test
C wants Miss Pinkham to recognize how much she studied for the test
D knows that her address is the most difficult to spell
12 The word cinch in paragraph 25 refers to something that is —
F easy
G unusual
H similar
J
interesting
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Page 12
13 The stage directions in paragraphs 42 and 43 are included to help —
A make the play humorous
B create suspense
C show a new problem
D introduce a new character
14 Herbie’s reaction when he learns about Olivia’s study method shows that he is —
F certain that Olivia is making fun of the way he studies
G jealous that Olivia always makes better grades than he does
H surprised to learn that the plan is very simple
J
eager to demonstrate some of his own study habits
15 Why does the playwright include a narrator in this play?
A To make the main character’s conflict seem more suspenseful
B To help the audience understand what the characters are thinking
C To assist the main characters in figuring out how to solve a problem
D To give the audience details about the characters’ actions in the scene
Reading
Page 13
16 Read the dictionary entry for the word keep.
ı
keep \ kēp\ verb
1. to take care of
2. to save
3. to hold back
4. to control
Which definition best fits the way the word keeping is used in paragraph 31?
F Definition 1
G Definition 2
H Definition 3
J
Definition 4
17 The narrator’s lines in paragraph 9 are important to the play because they —
A show that Herbie is serious about studying for his spelling test
B describe Herbie’s favorite method of studying for spelling tests
C explain why Olivia is surprised to see Herbie studying for a spelling test
D show that Olivia wants to help Herbie do well on his spelling test
Reading
Page 14
Read the next two selections. Then choose the best answer to
each question.
A Book for Jonah
1 A six-year-old boy named Dylan Siegel wanted to help his friend
Jonah, who has a rare liver disease. Jonah’s disease is so uncommon
that only one in every million people have it. Scientists are doing
research to find a cure for the disease. Dylan told his parents that he
wanted to raise money to help pay for research. His parents
suggested having a bake sale or setting up a lemonade stand, but he
had another idea.
Dylan Siegel wrote a book to help his
friend who has a liver disease.
Reading
Page 15
Courtesy of David Siegel
2 Dylan grabbed his pencil and wrote a 16-page book titled Chocolate
Bar. The idea for his book came from a phrase that Dylan and Jonah
created. The phrase is “so chocolate bar.” It means “so cool” or “so
awesome.” In the book, Dylan writes about some of his favorite
things, like swimming and going to the beach. He writes that each
experience is “so chocolate bar.”
3 Soon the book was printed. Dylan, his family, and his friends worked
hard to prepare for the book sale. At a special event at the boys’
school, Dylan told everyone about the book. A grocery store provided
chocolate bars to be sold at the school to raise more money for
Jonah. Dylan sold all 200 copies of his book and 100 candy bars,
making $5,000 in just a few hours.
Dylan and Jonah with a Copy of
Chocolate Bar
Courtesy of David Siegel
4 That was just the start. The boys appeared on TV shows to talk about
the book. They went to a bookstore in California and signed the books
that people bought. At the book signing they made even more money.
And a website that tells about Jonah’s disease also has copies of the
book for sale.
5 So far, Chocolate Bar has raised several hundred thousand dollars.
Dylan’s goal is a million dollars. He gives all the money to the
University of Florida College of Medicine, where doctors are trying to
find a cure for this disease.
6 Dylan enjoys helping Jonah. Dylan says that helping a friend is “so
chocolate bar!”
Reading
Page 16
Fruit for All
Zach Selby, Founder of
Fruit For All
Courtesy of fruitforallkids.com
1 One day in 2010 a high school student named Zach Selby found out
about a way to help people who need food. The organizations he
learned about take extra fruit from fruit trees and give it to local food
banks.1 Zach decided he could start his own group in his California
neighborhood. He called the group Fruit For All.
2 To make Fruit For All successful, Zach needed eager volunteers and
trees loaded with fruit. Zach asked community members to call or
contact him online and let him know whether they had trees with
extra fruit. Initially, it was difficult to find people who were willing to
contribute the fruit on their trees. But as news of Zach’s idea spread,
people contacted him. Soon, Fruit For All was really “growing”!
3 With the help of his brother Jackson and other volunteers, Zach has
gathered and donated more than 70,000 pounds of fruit to local food
banks. The group usually works on the weekends, and the volunteers
travel as far as 20 miles from Zach’s house. The volunteers usually
gather about 500 pounds of fruit each weekend. But one weekend
they collected over 2,000 pounds of fruit!
4 Fruit For All also has a website that explains the group’s goal, which is
to inspire people to help. Visitors to the website learn three ways they
can get involved. They can allow volunteers to pick fruit from their
1A food bank is a place that collects food and gives it to people who need it.
Reading
Page 17
trees. They can volunteer to pick fruit. And they can start a Fruit For
All group in their area. People who are interested can also use the
website to ask Zach and Jackson questions and post comments.
Fruit For All volunteers pick fruit.
Reading
Page 18
Courtesy of fruitforallkids.com
5 With help from groups like Fruit For All, more people are able to enjoy
delicious fresh fruit every day.
Use “A Book for Jonah” (pp. 15–16) to answer questions 18–22. Then fill in
the answers on your answer document.
18 What was the main reason Dylan’s book was a success?
F People wanted to help Dylan and Jonah.
G It showed what a chocolate bar meant to Dylan.
H People were curious about Dylan’s favorite activities.
J
It revealed what Jonah likes best about Dylan.
19 Dylan and Jonah use the phrase “so chocolate bar” to describe —
A events that raise money for Jonah
B experiences that they enjoy
C places that sell Dylan’s book
D ways to make someone feel better
20 Why did the author include the information in paragraph 4?
F To explain how so many people heard about Dylan’s mission
G To tell why the two friends were asked to be on TV shows
H To describe a place Dylan got to visit because of the book
J
To reveal what information can be found on Dylan and Jonah’s website
Reading
Page 19
21 What is the best summary of paragraphs 1 through 3?
A Dylan Siegel’s friend Jonah has a liver disease. Dylan wrote a book called
Chocolate Bar to sell at school. A grocery store provided chocolate bars for
Dylan to sell.
B Dylan Siegel wanted to write a book titled Chocolate Bar about going to the
beach and other things he enjoys. After he wrote the book, he sold copies of it
at school. He also sold chocolate bars from a grocery store.
C Dylan Siegel wanted to raise money for his friend Jonah. Dylan’s parents had
ideas about some ways that he could raise money. He worked with people to
sell a book he wrote.
D Dylan Siegel wanted to help his friend Jonah, who has a liver disease. Dylan
wrote a book titled Chocolate Bar. Copies of the book and chocolate bars
donated by a grocery store were sold to raise money for Jonah.
22 Which detail from the article suggests that many people want to help Jonah?
F The book describes some of Dylan’s experiences.
G The scientists at a university need to do some research.
H Dylan’s book has raised several hundred thousand dollars.
J
Dylan’s parents provided ideas about how to raise money.
Reading
Page 20
Use “Fruit for All” (pp. 17–18) to answer questions 23–26. Then fill in the
answers on your answer document.
23 The reader can infer that people with busy schedules can still help Fruit For All
by —
A starting a group in their own neighborhood
B helping collect fruit from people who have extra
C allowing volunteers to pick fruit from their trees
D asking other people to become volunteers
24 In paragraph 2, the word initially means —
F at first
G carefully
H always
J
without help
25 Which information on the Fruit For All website would be most useful to someone
who wants to help but lives far away from Zach’s community?
A How to start a group
B The different fruits the group accepts
C The steps necessary to get volunteers to pick fruit
D How to help pick fruit
Reading
Page 21
26 One problem Zach faced after he started Fruit For All was —
F collecting fruit from people who lived miles away
G getting enough people to participate in his project
H finding enough time during the week to volunteer
J
keeping up with information on the website
Reading
Page 22
Use “A Book for Jonah” and “Fruit for All” to answer questions 27–30. Then
fill in the answers on your answer document.
27 Dylan in “A Book for Jonah” and Zach in “Fruit for All” would most likely agree
that —
A children can help people more than adults can
B using technology is the only way to inform people
C schools should support people in the community who are in need
D it is easier to accomplish a goal with the support of friends and family
28 Dylan’s plan in “A Book for Jonah” differs from Zach’s plan in “Fruit for All”
because Dylan’s plan involves —
F giving to others
G people in the community
H creating something to sell
J
providing information on a website
29 Paragraph 5 of “A Book for Jonah” and paragraph 3 of “Fruit for All” are similar
because the paragraphs —
A provide details about Dylan’s and Zach’s achievements
B give information about how others can support Dylan and Zach
C describe how Dylan and Zach thought of their ideas
D explain how other people learn about Dylan’s and Zach’s ideas
Reading
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30 What is one way that Dylan in “A Book for Jonah” and Zach in “Fruit for All” are
different?
F Dylan has reached his original goal, but Zach is still working toward achieving
his goal.
G Dylan plans to write another book about chocolate, but Zach wants to limit the
amount of fruit his group collects.
H Dylan receives support from his community, but Zach receives support from
his family.
J Dylan’s idea resulted from wanting to help a friend, but Zach’s idea came from
learning about other organizations.
Reading
Page 24
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.
Then fill in the answer on your answer document.
A girl named Pacy is the narrator of this story. She is taking her first trip
to Taiwan with her parents, her younger sister Ki-Ki, and her older sister
Lissy. They already have boarded the airplane.
Copyright restrictions prevent the excerpt from
Dumpling Days from being displayed in this
format. Please refer to Dumpling Days by
Grace Lin, accessible at your local library.
Reading
Page 25
Copyright restrictions prevent the excerpt from
Dumpling Days from being displayed in this
format. Please refer to Dumpling Days by
Grace Lin, accessible at your local library.
Reading
Page 26
31 Read paragraph 7.
“Yeah, but why does it have to be a trip
to Taiwan?” I asked. “Why couldn’t it be
a trip to Hawaii? Or California? At least
then we could’ve seen Melody!”
What can the reader tell about Pacy based on these details?
A Pacy does not want to go anywhere without Melody.
B Pacy thinks the whole family wants to visit her friend Melody.
C Pacy thinks she should be able to decide where the family goes.
D Pacy does not understand why her parents are taking the family to Taiwan.
32 What do Dad’s comments to the family in paragraphs 14 and 18 show about him?
F He misses his homeland.
G He wants to move back to Taiwan.
H He feels guilty because he left Taiwan.
J
He worries about visiting his homeland.
33 In paragraph 19, the word last means —
A to remember an important decision
B to make it through a difficult situation
C to think about a different way of doing something
D to look forward to a new experience
Reading
Page 27
34 The author included the simile in paragraph 13 to suggest that Pacy’s school
vacations —
F are no longer fun for her
G have gotten longer
H allow her time to play with her sisters
J
make her think of her friends
35 Pacy’s conversation on the plane shows that she feels —
A nervous
B surprised
C frustrated
D embarrassed
36 What is the best summary of the story?
F Pacy and her family are flying on an airplane. They will be away from home
for 28 days. Pacy feels like her trip will take all summer.
G Pacy and her two sisters are wearing matching pink dresses. They are going
on a long trip to Taiwan. Their father says Taiwan is an island of treasure.
H Pacy and her family are flying to Taiwan for a vacation. Pacy’s parents are
from Taiwan. The parents are excited about showing their family where they
are from, but Pacy would rather be somewhere else.
J Pacy and her family are taking a long family vacation. Pacy’s father talks
about their trip. Pacy worries about being away from home for such a long
time and wishes they were going to see her friend instead.
Reading
Page 28
37 Read these sentences from paragraph 5.
Whenever people passed us, they smiled
and I didn’t blame them. We looked
ridiculous, like plastic birds in a flock of
flying ducks.
Pacy’s comparison of the sisters to plastic birds suggests that she thinks —
A she and her sisters look like they are experienced travelers
B she and her sisters stand out because of what they are wearing
C other people look past the sisters because they blend in with the other
travelers
D other people can tell that the sisters are not happy about having to take this
trip
Reading
Page 29
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.
Then fill in the answer on your answer document.
Flying Lesson
by Joyce Sidman
This time, Father says,
he will not bring me my dinner.
This time
he will let it fall,
5 and I must try to catch it.
Flying, Father says,
is like seeing the air.
Not just the blue shimmer,
not just the bright clouds,
10 but the air itself
as it swells and swirls
around our rocky cliff.
To show me,
he leaps from the nest,
15 gathers the wind in his wings,
and dives.
He comes up dangling dinner
between his claws.
He calls to me:
20 Now! Fly!
Because I love him,
because he says to,
because I want with all my heart
to catch that bait,
25 I tumble out:
flapping,
dropping,
soa r i ng
into the blue, shimmering air
30 that I can almost see.
© Joyce Sidman, from Just Us Two: Poems about Animal Dads (Millbrook 2000).
Reading
Page 30
38 What can the reader conclude from the action in the third stanza?
F Father makes flying look easy to the young bird.
G Father wants to prove that he is better at flying than the young bird.
H Father catches dinner for the young bird, even though he said he wouldn’t.
J
Father thinks that the young bird isn’t ready to fly.
39 Read this dictionary entry for the word call.
Which definition best matches the way the word calls is used in line 19?
A Definition 1
B Definition 2
C Definition 3
D Definition 4
40 What is the main message of the poem?
F It is important to practice new skills.
G It is sometimes difficult to be patient.
H Trying something new takes courage.
J
Exploring nature can be fun.
Reading
Page 31
41 The fourth stanza contains only two lines because the poet wants to show that —
A this is an important moment
B the setting has changed
C the poem contains dialogue
D this is an event that happened in the past
42 The poem is mostly about —
F becoming independent
G being the best
H feeling a sense of belonging
J
being generous
43 In line 28, why is the word “soaring” written the way it is?
A To make the ending of the poem surprising
B To show that the young bird caught its dinner
C To make the poem more fun to read
D To show that the young bird is flying
Reading
Page 32
44 The structure of the poem helps the reader know that it is —
F lyrical
G humorous
H rhyming
J
free verse
Reading
Page 33
BE SURE YOU HAVE RECORDED ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS
ON THE ANSWER DOCUMENT.
STOP
STAAR
GRADE 4
Reading
May 2016